AlwaysAgnes wrote:Yes, I noticed the entry or whatever prompted my thoughts is gone. I can delete my post that you quoted if you'd like.

By all means... delete your post. Yes, it is confusing when posts get deleted (I didn't do it) and replies to it are left.

I will only sum up the post for those who missed it. It was my New Years post.

========== Summary of New Years Post ==========Reflections on the past year:

2011 was one of the best years of my life! The most significant thing I see looking back is that EVERY time I've stepped on the scale in 2011 I weighed less than the time before, to the tune of 109 pounds!! I believe this to be significant progress with this program, significant progress in my life, and something I am happy and proud of!

Resolutions for the new year:

I resolve to live my life and eat in such a manner that every time I step on the scale in 2012 I will continue the trend of weighing less than I did the time before. I resolve to continue my exercise program and reach 1000 miles walked by the end of 2012.

The Forum and I:

I will continue to post updates at least every other week on or after weigh-in day, but until I feel more welcome I may not post in between.

===========End Of Summary=================

New Years Update:

My mother has made significant progress in her attitude towards my dietary changes. Just a few months ago she insisted that when I come over I eat what she cooks and she was outwardly hostile to even discussing anything different. Last night she had us over for dinner and she planned the ENTIRE dinner to be friendly to my diet. No, I couldn't eat every dish, but I could eat enough of what was on the table to actually share the meal with them instead of eating separate. In addition, she found and bought a book at the thrift store by Dr. Ornish and asked my opinion on it... and has expressed an actual interest in what I'm doing. I've always felt that meeting hostility with hostility is a sure recipe for making and/or keeping enemies, and that meeting hostility with kindness, patience, and acceptance can, and quite often does result in people making huge changes for themselves. I am thrilled with my mother's changes in attitude!

My mother has made significant progress in her attitude towards my dietary changes. Just a few months ago she insisted that when I come over I eat what she cooks and she was outwardly hostile to even discussing anything different. Last night she had us over for dinner and she planned the ENTIRE dinner to be friendly to my diet. No, I couldn't eat every dish, but I could eat enough of what was on the table to actually share the meal with them instead of eating separate. In addition, she found and bought a book at the thrift store by Dr. Ornish and asked my opinion on it... and has expressed an actual interest in what I'm doing. I've always felt that meeting hostility with hostility is a sure recipe for making and/or keeping enemies, and that meeting hostility with kindness, patience, and acceptance can, and quite often does result in people making huge changes for themselves. I am thrilled with my mother's changes in attitude!

Till Weigh-In Day!

-Norm[/quote]

I thrilled, too, and I don't even know your mother. It's just easier when people are on the same page with us. So often in our culture it seems like so many are not even in the same library.

Did you read Dr. McDougall's latest newsletter? Share that with your mom.

Today's weigh-in showed a drop of 10 pounds over the last two weeks. I am pleased to see the numbers moving more to my liking, but I don't think I've lost 10 pounds of fat in the past weeks. Rather, I think that last weigh-in (which reflected only 1 pound lost) was thrown off by a bit of water retention. I was going to mention this at the time, but didn't want to be perceived as making excuses, because that wouldn't have been my intent. In any case, I'm 11 pounds lighter over the past 4 weeks, and I'm pleased as punch about that.==========================================For the first time in my life my actual weight is lower than the weightshown on my Drivers License. ==========================================Exercise: I continue to walk 3 miles most days and have been considering increasing that to more, as I've been doing 3 miles a day for a long time now. Yesterday I walked 5 miles to see how I'd handle it. I think it went just fine. I've walked 189 miles since I started keeping track.==========================================I'm busier now than ever. I've increased my volunteer work at the Food Bank to three days a week from the one I had been doing.==========================================I went for a trike ride earlier in the week. I had not been for a serious ride in a very long time. It is different pedalling after having lost this much weight. The movement is easier. Even though I've been walking a lot more than I have in many years, my pedalling muscles are way out of shape. I have determined that I need to spend a lot more time on the trike. Not instead of walking, but in addition to walking.==========================================I want to give a shout out to Ben, who's journal I've been following!! Ben, I've been rooting for you since I first started reading your posts many months ago. I want to encourage you to stick around till you make this program work for you. I want you to go read Mike Teehan's Star McDougaller's story. You could have a similar outcome!! Don't allow ANYONE to discourage you from your journey.==========================================I am continuing to make my breakfast in the small crock pot I purchased. My usual consists of 1/3rd cup organic de-hulled barley, 1/3rd cup organic whole oat groats, frozen banana, some other fruit, and a bit of cinnamon on top. Lately the "other fruit" has been goji berries and/or strawberries. I really love how the grains cook up in the crock pot. They absorb so much more water that there is much more volume of food with no extra calories. Gotta love it!! I also quite often clean the crock pot out right after eating breakfast (which is noon-1pm) and turn around and load it up with brown rice or quinoa to cook up for dinner. I'm sure getting my money'sworth out of that crock pot!==========================================Until next weigh-in!! If anyone wants conversation from me before then, pm me.

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